Pump of the tube compressing type



A. A. JACOBS PUMP OF THE TUBE COMPRESSING TYPE Jan. 20, 1948.

Filed 001;. l, 1945 INVENTOR 948-537. Jncoas BY b16044,

Madam ATTORNEY5 Patented Jan. 20, 1948 omrao s'rArEs PATENT orrica v rum or run ro ifrc o irmnssmo ma Albert A. Jaeoballlllwaulree, we. Application October 1; 1945, Serial No. 619,475 6 Claims. o]. 103-149) This invention relates to improvements in pumps the tube compressing type. The preierred embodiment herein disclosed may also be used to regulate rather thanto effect flow and is particularly adapted for hospital use to provide variable means for flowing liquids to a patient at a controlled rate for venous or intravenous in- 1 .iection.

cam may be flanged. Fig. 2 shows the block a provided with one or more flanges l2, while Fig. 3 diflers only in that the blocki', has no flange and the cam roller H is flanged at l3. There would be no necessity for any such flanges but for the fact that in the particular device illustrated the rotor operates in a horizontal rather Primary objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character described which is valveless, has no moving parts in contact with the liquid, is quickly and easily cleaned, is completely corrosion proof and sterile, and is quiet and easily variable as to output.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in plan oi apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view in section, taken on line 2--2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail, showing a slight modification of Fig. 2.

The elastically flexible tube 5 of natural or synthetic rubber or the like conveys the liquid to be pumped or regulated. This tube may be conveniently supported detachably on block 6 by clips or staples l. Block 6 has an arcuate notch at t to which the tube more or less conforms.

. The arc of notch 8 is drawn about a center on which shaft and rotor Ill are rotatable. The rotor carries a number of cams H, preferably in the form of rollers, located at such a radius as to compress and flatten, tube 5 against the arcuate wall 3 of block 6. The arcuate extent of wall 8 and the arcuate angle between radii drawn to the respective rollers are such that one roller cannot release the flattened tube 5 in the course of rotor rotation before the next roller is also flattening the tube. As shown, the rollers are 90 apart and the wall 8 has an arcuate extent of 90 or more.

Assuming the shaft and rotor to be in clock- Wise rotation, the roller ii flattening the tube near the right hand end of the arcuate wall 8 (as viewed in Fig. 1) will completely close the tube, as shown in Fig. 2, and the zone of compression will progressively advance clockwise driving ahead of it from right to left the fluid (gas or liquid) in the tube. Before the pressure is relieved by disengagement oi a cam roller from the tube at the left end of the arcuate wall, the next successive cam roller willestablish a new and progressively advancing pressure zone as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, the device will function in either direction of rotation.

To provide support for the tube 5, when the than a vertical plane.

While the block 6 may be rigidly mounted with its wall 8 at a fixed radius from the shaft 8, it is preferred that, for emergencies, the block 6 be supported by springs I from flange ii of case l6. Rods ll extend thru the springs to guide the block 6 and are provided with nuts engaging flange l5 to adjustably flx the position at which the springs yieldably hold the block. The springs are strong enough to hold the biock'against all pressure required to flatten tube 5 unless some relatively non-compressible matter is traversing the tube.

For the purposes of the particular embodiment disclosed, silence of operation is important. Ac-

cordingly the motor,l8, which drives shaft 9 through the reduction gear set 19, is mounted on a cushion 20, its freedom of movement on the cushion being restrained only by an arm 2| engaged in grommet 22 in an aperture in case i5.

apparatus is horizontal as shown, the block or the The shaft 9 passes through grommet 23 to' the outside of. the case. If flange i5 is mounted on arm 2| as indicated in Fig. 2, the entire mechanical apparatus is floated on cushion 28 and grommets 22, 23 without any noise-transmitting connection to the case.' The knob 25 controls the speed oi motor l8, the connections being omitted.

The fluid to be pumped or regulated as to flow has no contact with the air or with any metal part but is moved within tube 5 at all times. Thus the pump is particularly adapted for handling fluids where absolute sterility is essential or where corrosion would otherwise occur. The apparatus may be regarded as an entity without the tube 5, for, despite the importance of the tube in the use of the device, the tube is an inter-=- changeable part of the assembly and may be supplied by the user and even renewed for each use.

The pump will draw a substantial vacuum but may also be used to regulate with great accuracy the flow through a tube of liquid under pressure. The method of flattening the tube in successive zones, progressively advanced, produces substan-' tially continuous and uniform flow which may be closely regulated by controlling the motor speed.

emos I claim:

1. *comblnation. a tube pport. a tube supported thereon, a rotor co-axial with said s pport and provided with arcuately spaced tube compressing cams. a shaft for the rotor, a motor within the case, driving connections from the motor to the shaft. and means 'for the cushioned unitary support from the case or the interiorv motor and driving means and the external tube support,tube, and rotor.

2. In combination, a case. a motor within the case provided with atransmission and a driven shaft projecting from the cm. an elastically yieldable mounting for the motor and transmission, a bracket supported from the same mounting and projecting from the case, an arcuate tube support carried by the bracket exteriorlyof the case-and substantially coaxial with said driven shaft, arcuately spaced cams operatively mounted on the shaft and cooperative with said support, the motor, bracket, tube support, transmission, shaft and cams being unitarily carried by said mounting whereby said case is protected against vibration.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the case has openings through which the bracket and shaft project, and yieldable grommets in said openings closing the openings about the bracket and shaft respectively while protecting the case against communication of vibration thereto from the shaft or bracket.

4. The combination with a case and yieldable mounting means therein, of a motor and a tube support bracket operatively supported by said mounting means. said case being apertured and said bracket extending therethrough, yieldable grommet means closing the case about the brack et, a transmission unit operatively connected with the motor, a driven shaft projecting therefrom substantially parallel to the bracket, the case being apertured and provided with grommet means through which such shaft extends, a cam support mounted on the shaft and provided with case. an exterior arcuate angularly spaced arcuate wall substantially concentric with shaftrand with which such cams coact. a hexible tube disposed between said wall and the path of movement of said cams, a spring seat member carried by the bracket, and spring means acting on said tube support in a direction to bias said support toward said shaft, said support carrying said flexible tube in a position to be compressed between said cams and support.

5. The device set forth in claim a in which the shaft and bracket extend vertically through the case and the tube support is yieldable substantially horizontally across the top of the case and is provided with means guiding it for such movement respecting the spring seat member.

6. The device set forth in claim 4 in which the shaft and bracket extend vertically through the case and the tube support is yieldable substantially horizontally across the top of the case and is provided with means guiding it for such movement respecting the spring seat member, and comprising bolts connected with the tube support and extending through apertures in the spring seat member. and provided with nuts limltlng the movement of the tube support away from the spring seat member in response to the bias of such spring.

ALBERT A. JACOBS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ills of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS camaatubesupporthavingau, 

